Ceramic paint protection

Love your truck and way to go keeping it looking awesome! It shows that you take great care of your things. Love the wheels as well - what are those?

OP, you can buy any number of high quality ceramic products that you can do yourself. Once you get a good finish on there it is easier to keep clean and will add protection. Good luck.

 

We've used the turtle ceramic car wash on our prius which imo, is like a good wax job as long as you towel it down before it dries, or you'll see water soap/spots on the windshield, and paint surface. You'll get decent protection for a few months, before needing to do it over. Imo, using aerolon tech shine on the car in the past lasts longer.

 

Thats quite high. Its was around a $1000 for the ceramic coating, and interior protection lifetime plan for my tacoma. I was able to get the cost down to $750. The big plus has been the protection this coating gives against tree sap, bird poop, acid rain, and spattered bug guts on the paints surface, not to mention all the paint chips i use to collect on the old tundra.

 

Those wheels are Method racing #301's

 

My father had ceramic paint protection applied to his truck. After application he was told to alway had was and the ideal method of drying was air drying. Compress air or leaf blower. WTF?
Yes, it was professionally applied, and cost just under $1,400

Seriously, if it’s that “fragile” then all the bugs and road debris can’t be to good for the coating either?

I’m of the opinion it is a crock of $hit.
It is a Toyota truck, it isn’t a collector vehicle.

I say save your money and spend the money saved on frame protection.

 

Here’s another pic of the truck during the process.
Here’s your crock of shit TNShooter.

 

Haha, I live in rural KY, so not a lot of professional detail shops to choose from around here and I assumed the price I was quoted reflected that. Seems like that price is more common than I though according to other posts in this thread.

 

Buy some spray on DIY ceramic coating. I bought topcoat F11 before researching other options. I paid $150ish for a whole bunch of it. Its lasted me about 4 years. I keep using it because it works really well, I definitely recommend getting that one, or one of the alternatives that work as well, but at a fraction of the price.

I would not get the "professional $1k dollar ceramic protection." Ive gotten them, but because where I live they cost me $150. $150 for a buff, ceramic coating and top notch high end detail is not bad for a once a year type thing.

 

Funny, I thought the X-runner and mustang looked the cleanest. Probably the lighting tho.

 

yea its hard to show anything in photos. I can take a pic of a dirty car and can make it look clean.
The mustang was the cleanest as it never went out in bad weather and I had its paint perfectly swirl free. I took days polishing it to pretty much perfection

 

Whatever place said that. They are full of shit. I use a blower to to the pre dry on my car because with the ceramic coating it blows 95% of the water off in mins and then I finish up with MF towels.
here is the real benefit of the coatings being so Hydrophobic on my 2 Tacomas

 

Professional detail shop did a wash, clay bar and polish. 2 coats of opti coat pro plus
7 year warranty and the water blows right off with a leaf blower leaving very little to wipe gently with a microfiber towel.what I was told was the professional ceramic coatings are sold to certified installers, and is permanently bonding chemically with the clear coat. I got the 2nd coat to extend the warranty to 7 years.

 

I have GTechniq installed on two vehicles: 1979 Scirocco and a 2020 Mazda 3 which is my wife's daily. It's fantastic on both.
It might seem silly on the Scirocco since it never sees bad weather but it has original paint and the coating protects from bugs, bird poop, tar, etc. and makes the paint a lot easier to clean off with a spray wax without washing.
Putting it on my wife's daily was a no-brainer since it's dark gray and sees awful New England weather. It's much easier to clean.
Yes, it's relatively expensive. For me it was worth it. Keep in mind the cost of professional install includes decontamination, clay bar, paint correction, and several layers of coating (at least it should). That's a lot of time and labor. And many of the best coatings can be tricky to work with.
All that being said, there are some great new DIY coatings in the last year or two. If you're willing to put in the work to properly prep the paint then do some research on those. Check out Esoteric on YouTube for some good info to start with. https://youtube.com/c/Esotericdetail
One more thing... Nobody should expect coatings to be indestructible. Dragging your car through flailing brushes, high pressure water and harsh detergents at the automated car wash will ruin anything, including ceramic coatings.

 

I’ll try to download a video

 

No video luck. Just pics ?

 

Wax is dead. Ceramic coating isn’t too hard if you are patient, but a good detailer can do it for a reasonable cost in my opinion. It is much easier to maintain in between washes. IGL coatings is an inexpensive one that has very good reviews amongst the pros.

 

Just to be clear, as I'm sure many who are reading this thread are doing so because they are considering ceramic protection.
It does not, can not, and will not, protect your vehicle from paint chips.
I'd walk on from any installer peddling it as such.

 

Does not prevent rock chips for sure.

 

I've used the not so serious ceramic coatings before, but this summer I will be paying a detailer to apply the real deal and get out imperfections from factory paint. It's not cheap, but yes, where I live it will absolutely be worth it over the years. Winters are not kind to Montana vehicles. Hell, summers are not kind to Montana vehicles, lol.

Nothing does. Even rhino lining and like brands will chip. Plastic chips as well. Nothing can stop the rock...